Sai Forms

[Wado Heretic]

Fusei Kise happens to be a Yondan in Shorinji-Ryu and taught Coffman the Shorinji kata that shows up in the American versions of MSSR. He later stopped teaching it and did not carry it over to Kenshin Kan when he founded that system. So I would say that it's probably more accepted that Coffman added it, as he states that Kise didn't remember the kata later in Coffman's training. That said, you are correct in your assumption. Ananku no Sai is just the unarmed version with sai. The way it was explained to me was that Ananku no Sai was the true version and the unarmed version is to introduce it. Not sure if this is true, you know how Martial Arts legends pass down. As far as the kata's relation to Matsubayashi-Ryu, I'm not familiar enough to comment if the form made its way to me from there.

If that is the Shorinji-Ryu of Hisataka Kōri then it is likely the Ananku of Kyan Chotoku. He was Hisataka's primary teacher in karate. From what I have been told, and have read, is that Kyan Chotoku developed Ananku from techniques he studied during his time in Taiwan. There are two versions I know of. They have a lot of technique combinations in common. My hypothesis is that the Shi'to-Ryu version is one that Mabuni Kenwa recieved from Kyan at one point, and the Matsubayashi-Ryu version the one Nagamine Shoshin recieved from Kyan: different versions of the kata that came about as Kyan worked on it. The only problem with this hypothesis is that the Shi'to-Ryu version only comes down the Tani Chojiro line, and is arguably different enough from the Okinawan kata to be its own form with just the same name. Not unlike Shotokan's version of Sochin.

With that said, in your particular system, Ananku may just be a foundation of study for Ananku no Sai. That may be how it has been designed and thus true for MSSR. Not true to other versions of Ananku, perhaps, but now wholly untrue. Personally, I can see why one might adapt either version of Ananku for use with the sai: there are a lot of movements that mirror Tsuken Shitahaku no Sai and other classical saijutsu kata.

Can it be that we'll never be satisfied with anything in the MA; we'll agree to disagree no matter what MA wise!!??

I think the beauty of Kobudo, and by extension the study of weapons in general, is that you have to allow yourself to be guided by the tool. There are only so many ways to wield a weapon that plays to the weapons strengths, and are logical and sensible. In contrast to the unarmed arts where we are far more guided by our own unique physiology and thus must play to our strengths. Which is why a universal approach to training for unarmed combat has likely never emerged, and never will, if only due to the great variety of sports and contexts such arts can be involved in.

Plus, this is why I think it wise to study the classical kata - they come from a time where these tools were used in actual violence. They have been superseded by modern tools and tactics, and the context of civilian violence changes from age to age, and culture to culture. No one living has that same knowledge. If we indulge in our own modern creativity without deference to the intent of the weapon we are in danger of learning to dance with props rather than studying bujutsu. We might never use said weapons in violence but we should be sincere in our studies. It is perfectly fine to dance with props for fun so long as one is not pretending it is a valid martial study.